Mercury from broken fluorescent bulb

[FlamesPuck12]

I accidentally dropped a fluorescent bulb in my room and it shattered on my carpet.
I picked up most the glass pieces and vacuumed the room several times to get small glasses out.

So I heard that these fluorescent bulbs have mercury in them and if you break them, the mercury could contaminate the area. I've tried to google to find out more information about them but I've been getting mixed answers so I thought I would post here to get more information.

The bulb wasn't hot when it was dropped and it hasn't been used for months.

So would vacuuming the room be enough? Do you think that the mercury contamination caused by the broken bulb would be serious concern?

[Dan02]

From what I understand the amount of mercury involved is so minimal it's not worth worrying about after you've vacuum'd it up.

[FunkMasterFlame]

Give it about a week. If you haven't developed the sudden, irrational urge to make hats I'd say you're in the clear.

[BlackArcher101]

You could always take a page from the miners safety book and get a "canary" to make sure the room is safe before using it. I recommend a cat.

[CaptainCrunch]

Don't lick the carpet

[Pinner]

I would clean out my vacuum or change the bag so it doesn't spread it around.

[Boo Radley]

Check out this link...

http://www.in.gov/idem/your_environm...alog/spill.pdf

There is a section dealing with Fluorescent light bulbs.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

If a fluorescent lamp is broken, a very small amount of mercury can contaminate the surrounding environment. About 99% of the mercury is typically contained in the phosphor, especially on lamps that are near their end of life.[13] The broken glass is usually considered a greater hazard than the small amount of spilled mercury. The EPA recommends airing out the location of a fluorescent tube break and using wet paper towels to help pick up the broken glass and fine particles. Any glass and used towels should be disposed of in a sealed plastic bag. Vacuum cleaners can cause the particles to become airborne, and should not be used.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Don't lick the carpet

Ummmmm......